


Soul Hunter

by MonochromeMog



Category: Supernatural, Supernatural: The Animation
Genre: Awesome Bobby, Awesome Dean, Caring Castiel, Caring Dean, Caring Gabriel, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Good Big Brother Dean, Good Boyfriend Gabriel, Good friend Castiel, Hurt Sam, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Sam, John Winchester's A+ Parenting, Low Self Esteem, M/M, Mary's a good mom, Permanent Injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-20 14:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6010894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonochromeMog/pseuds/MonochromeMog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a hunt goes wrong, Sam loses his left arm. His fears of being useless are confirmed as John refuses to bring him on anymore hunts. Filled with insecurity, Sam draws in on himself. Dean decides to do something about it and trains Sam behind their father's back with Bobby's and Mary's help. Sam is on a long way to recovery...</p><p>((This is a fanfiction based off of the movie Soul Surfer that is about the hardships Bethany Hamilton faced after her arm was bitten off by a shark.))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Hospital

**Author's Note:**

> Supernatural and its characters do not belong to me.  
> As the summary says, this is based off of Soul Surfer, it will not entirely be like the movie, but there may be scenes inspired by the movie.  
> Everyone is alive and the whole Winchester family are hunters. 
> 
> Enjoy and please leave feedback because it'll help a lot in future chapters. Thank you.

Soul Hunter 

Sam can't recall that much; everything was a blur. He remembers being on a hunt with his dad and Dean, he remembers a searing white hot pain in his left arm near to the shoulder area. What happened after that, though? 

As he tried to search for the missing memories, he was slowly slipping back into consciousness. His hazel eyes opened slowly and he was met with the concerned face of Dean. Sam blinked, confused as to why Dean was hovering over him. 

"Sammy? Are you alright?"

Dean's voice was full of drowsiness; indicating that he has just woken up from a sleep. "Dean...?" Sam mumbled, moving his arm. He tried to move his left arm, but found that he couldn't. That snapped him awake. He used his right hand to feel his left arm, but only soft hospital sheets met his fingertips. 

"Dean? What... What... My.." 

"Shhh. Calm down, Sammy." 

Easier said than done. Even Dean was having a hard time staying calm. His dad had to calm him down first before he was even allowed in the hospital. 

"What do you remember?" 

Dean decided to go from there; if Sam can't remember anything, there's no point in trying to explain the situation until he knows exactly what happened. "I remember... We were all on a hunt. It was... A-a werewolf I think. It pounced at us and then... I felt a pain in my left shoulder..." A sudden realisation hit Sam. "Oh God... Dean... My arm... It's..." 

"Shh, it's okay Sammy..." 

"How is this okay, Dean? My arm is...! My arm is missing!" 

Dean winced. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the right way to put it. Sam seemed highly sensitive now, thanks to Dean's words of wisdom. "I know, Sammy, but you have to calm down." Dean looked Sam directly in the eyes, biting the inside of his cheek. He was scared. He was scared that Sam was scared. He didn't know how this would affect Sam's life. He didn't know if Sam was mentally stable. 

"Dad is on his way with Cas and Gabriel, alright? They'll be here soon." Dean rubbed Sam's shoulder soothingly, trying to offer any form of comfort he could.

Sam couldn't believe it; his arm was ripped from his body. Probably in some werewolf's stomach by now. He didn't know how he was going to cope; he needed his left arm to help him shoot when hunting. What will he do now? Will his dad even let him go hunting with Dean and him anymore? That scared Sam the most, he didn't want to appear useless when he knows he can do so much more. 

"Dean..." Sam sniffled, swallowing the thick lump in his throat. "Will mom come and see me?" Dean seemed to falter, but he put on his best smile. "She's still working on that hunt in Oregon, dad told her what happened and she promises that she'll come and see you as soon as possible, Sammy." Dean reassured him, his nervous smile turning to a relieved one when Sam nodded. "And you said Gabe and Cas are coming with dad, right?" 

"Yeah. They should be—"

"Samoose! My poor moose!" 

Gabriel bursts in the door, tears pooling in his eyes as he saw Sam on the hospital bed with no arm. "Can you not shout, Gabriel? We're in a hospital." Castiel grunted, an irk mark on his face. "I'm sorry, Cas. I'll remember that when your boyfriend is in the hospital." Gabriel shot back, crossing his arms over his chest. 

John Winchester entered the room that moment, concern the only emotion on his face. "Sammy..." 

Guilt had built up in John when he saw Sam in the hospital bed with no arm. He should have been quicker, he shouldn't have let Sam go on the hunt; he's too weak, and that hunt proved it. He's even weaker now without an arm. 

"Hey, dad." Sam croaked, clearing his throat. Dean held a glass of water to Sam's lips, helping him drink it slowly. "Thanks, Dean." Sam smiled in Dean's direction when the older man put the glass back on the bedside table. "Dad... Will I be able to go on another hunt?" 

"Can't you just relax, Sammy?" Gabriel asks, brow quirked in amusement. "I agree, Sam. There's a time and place for everything. Discussing such matters inside a hospital when you are still in shock is unwise." Castiel chimed in, worry laced between his words. He could understand why Sam had asked a question as such, but the man is missing an arm, he's in shock and he can hardly move a limb. 

"Yeah, Sammy, we'll talk about it later, 'Kay?" Dean puts a hand on his brother's uninjured shoulder, frowning when he felt Sam flinch under his touch. "Okay..." Sam muttered back in reply. He knew the answer anyway, the way John looked at him said it all. He looked at him in disappointment, he looked at him like he was frail. There's no way he would let Sam go on anymore hunts...

But do you honestly think Sam will listen to John?

Castiel was right; the hospital was not the right place to speak about the situation, but that didn't mean Sam can't think of the possibilities. "Are you hungry, Sammy?" Gabriel asks suddenly. He figured he should leave the family alone, he could treat Sam like a princess after he's had a talk with his brother and father. "A little..." Sam admitted, playing with the sheets that covered him. "Alright! Cas and I will go and get something. Any preferences?" 

"Maybe just a salad...?" 

"Okay, we'll be back soon. Come on, Gabriel." The two angels left the room, throwing reassuring smiles at the man in the bed. 

John sighed when they were out of the room. "I don't see what you boys see in those Angels..." John muttered, earning a shy smile from the brothers. An awkward silence stretched between the three men, they were all focusing on different objects in the room. John was was too scared to say anything in case he annoyed Sam, Dean was apprehensive over what words could be exchanged if John didn't keep his cool and Sam was uneasy in his brother's and father's presence. What if they thought he was too weak? Were they disappointed in him for getting his arm ripped off? 

Sam kept his gaze fixed on the hospital sheets that covered him, silently praying for Castiel and Gabriel to show and break the tension. His prayers weren't answered and it was his older brother who broke the tension. 

"So... The doctors said you'd be good to go in two days. Since you've already spent a week in here." 

"How long was I unconscious anyways?" 

"Since you lost a LOT of blood, and it took them a long time to actually stabilise you, you've been stuck in here for a week." Dean explains, a smile full of bitterness on his face. "We-we uh... We were worried, Sammy... They kept telling us that your heart was failing.... That you lost too much blood... It gave us quite a scare, y'know?" Dean rubbed a hand down his face, trying to keep his emotions at bay. He won't lie; the scene that unfolded in front of him nearly killed him... 

He can still remember the pain on Sam's face as Dean tried to slow the bleeding...

 

"Why do werewolves appear at night?" Dean had groaned, obviously exhausted. John had woken the boys up at 3:00 AM, instructing them that the werewolf was on the move and they needed to kill it tonight. "Don't complain, you'll set a bad example." John muttered in response, receiving a glare from Sam that Dean hadn't missed. Dean could understand his frustrations; John was talking about him like he was five and not 20. Dean didn't dare question Sam about it though, that would make everything worse. 

They continued walking through the deep dark woods. There was no signs of a werewolf or a pack and Sam was starting to question his dad's instructions. That wasn't a shocker to Dean, Sam always questioned John on his decisions. "Are you sure about this, dad?" Sam asked, hands at his side as he halted. "I'm sure, Sam, come on." John snapped, continuing onwards. Dean flinched as John snapped at Sam. This was not going to end well...

Sam grits his teeth together, fists clenching in agitation. He always hated it when John talked to him like that; like he was a child that done something wrong, even though he didn't. No matter what he did, it was never enough for John, he would always look at Sam with disappointment, hatred and sadness. 

His thoughts are cut short when something suddenly pounces on him. Teeth sank into his shoulder and he screamed in agony as the teeth pulled and pulled until the flesh teared. Dean and John had walked ahead, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He continued screaming, voice becoming louder as the arm was fully torn off. John and Dean ran back to where Sam was after hearing his cry, they both froze when they stumbled upon the scene. The werewolf was on top of Sam, his arm in its mouth and it's fur matted with Sam's blood. It growled as it saw the two men and it ran away, Sam's arm hanging loosely in its mouth. 

Dean didn't hesitate to run towards Sam, his eyes shining with worry as he tried to slow the bleeding. "Sammy? Sammy! Stay awake! Please!" Sam didn't respond, his hazel eyes were looking at Dean as his brother tied his shirt around Sam's shoulder to slow the bleeding. John had tried to go after the werewolf, but decided against it as he saw that Sam wasn't responding. He can go after the werewolf later, after he gets Sam to the hospital. "Dean! Pick him up and run to the Impala! We need to get him to the hospital!" John barked. Dean complied, picking his younger brother up and running to the Impala. 

"It's okay, Sammy, you'll be fine..." 

 

Dean was snapped back to reality as Sam called his name. "Sorry, what was that, Sammy?" He asks, putting on his best heart warming smile. "I asked if you were okay. You zoned out on us." 

Dean laughed nervously. "Sorry 'bout that. Just thinking."

"That's dangerous." 

Even bedridden Sam was still a sarcastic little shit. 

"Bitch." Dean threw him a smirk.

"Jerk." Sam threw one back. 

John smiled at the strange exchange between his boys. They always had this special connection between them and it made John smile all of the time. He wasn't sure when the 'bitch and jerk' exchange started, but he didn't care. When it was said between the brothers, it displayed their relationship in the most odd way. 

It was almost... Sweet.


	2. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam returns home after the incident. Mary comes home to support her son and John may find himself dead before he even goes on another hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really needed to get this posted or I would die. But, anyways, Mary is a badass and yes, she is also a hunter in the fanfic. She does solo on more serious ones, but goes in hunting trips with Dean and Cas frequently. Sam gets stuck with grumpy John. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Two days later, Sam was let out of the hospital. His shoulder was bandaged, but he covered it with his baggy jacket. He felt self conscious, but didn't share this information with anyone. Not even Gabriel. 

"Hey~! Samoose!" Gabriel called when he saw Sam get out of the Impala. He walked up to him and hugged him and smiled when Sam wrapped his arm around him. "Hey, Gabe." Sam greeted, grinning. Dean flashed a smile at Gabriel and nodded his head towards the house. "Let's go, Samoose. I wanna spend quality time with my perfect boyfriend before you go off doing hunts again." Sam chuckled, nodding and following Gabriel into the house. 

Dean locked eyes with John when Sam entered the house. "Dad? We are letting Sammy come on hunts, aren't we?" Dean asks, brow quirked. John averted his gaze and shook his head. "No, he's not coming on anymore hunts... We'll drop him off here with Gabriel, then we're leaving." John gruffly answered. Dean's eyes widened. Sure, he had expected John to say no, but what he didn't expect was for John to say they were dumping Sam here with Gabriel. 

"So... We're just leaving him here, huh? We're gonna make him feel useless? Because, dad, I know he feels useless and he feels like he's let us down. Don't do this to him and make him feel worse." Dean sternly said, eyes narrowing at his father. "Dean, we're not talking about this. My decision is final." John left Dean alone to go into the house, a firm frown on his lips.

Dean stared after him, anger basically seething from him. Dean knew how this could break Sam, John knew it too, but did he care? No! He just cared about keeping Sam from breaking psychically, he couldn't care if Sam broke mentally from being ditched and being made useless. Well, one thing's for sure, Dean will not do that to his little brother.

His mother, Mary, should be coming home today. Dean will sure as Hell tell her about John's decision. 

Sam stayed upstairs with Gabriel, watching TV and playing video games with him. He found it hard at first to play, but after a while, got used to only using one arm to play with. Gabriel went easy on him, letting him adjust to the weird feeling of not being able to use both hands. Even with his most loved person in the world, Gabriel couldn't be at ease. He knew what John was doing, he knew what Dean felt towards the decision and he knew how Mary would react. This would be a lot of stress on Sam, Gabriel knew that, but he couldn't do much, he could only serve as comfort for the man. "Hey, Gabe?" Sam's quiet voice snapped Gabriel out of his reverie. "Yeah, Sammy?" Gabriel smiled at the brown haired man and a small frown ghosted across his face as he noticed Sam's troubled look. "Do... Do you think I'm useless? Do you think they think I'm useless? That my missing arm will make me useless to help Dean and dad?" 

Gabriel mentally flinched at his words; that's exactly what John thought. He can't tell him though, his dad should be the one to do that, but he couldn't find the will to lie either. Gabriel breathed a little sigh, finally deciding to tell a white lie. He smiled at Sam again, ruffling his hair. "You're not useless Sam, okay? No one thinks you're useless. Sure, hunts will be harder, but you'll just have to try harder, right? I can help you in any way possible, alright?" Okay... So maybe he was lying after all... Well, it wasn't a complete lie — he will try to help Sam in any way he can, he's not useless... But John thinks he is. How would he explain that to Sam? 

Sam grinned at Gabriel, nodding. "Thanks, Gabe." 

The sound of the door opening from downstairs alerted Sam and he leapt out of the bed. Gabriel smiled after Sam as he exited the room, following him. "Sammy!" Mary's gentle voice echoed through the out the house. John looked up from packing to see his wife there, he smiled at her and she smiled back. She hugged him and kissed him. "Is he alright?" Mary questions, worry laced in between her words. "He's... Coping somehow." John admitted, averting his gaze. 

Mary turned to the door as she heard four pair of footsteps. She smiled when she saw her two sons, their boyfriends behind them. She didn't judge her sons for their sexual preference, love was a natural occurrence in life and she wouldn't stop something natural. "Come here, you two." She opened her arms out, inviting her sons to hug her. She hadn't seen her sons in two weeks, the hunt in Oregon took longer than expected. But, when she heard about Sam's condition, she rushed back home. Screw the demon! 

"Hi, boys. Are you two alright?" 

"I'm fine, mom." Dean grinned, but it slowly faded as Sam replied, "I'm fine," when Dean knew he was not. Sure, Gabriel might have offered him some comfort, but that wasn't going to change the way John thought about him. 

"That's great. I'm so sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I tried to get here as soon as possible." 

"It's alright, mom. I wasn't mentally stable anyways..." 'And I probably never would be' Sam wanted to add, but refrained from doing so. 

"Hey, mom. Can I talk to you for a sec?" Dean asks suddenly, swallowing the lump in his throat. "That's a good idea, I need to talk to Sammy anyways." John puts a hand on Sam's uninjured shoulder, making the younger man flinch slightly. Do people think he's a freak now? They weren't touching his other shoulder at all, they were avoiding it like the plague. 

Castiel and Gabriel shared a glance in worry, knowing what was going to go down. 

Mary and Dean moved to the kitchen, while John and Sam stayed in the living room. 

"Listen, mom... Dad... He said..." Dean breathed out slightly, trying to calm himself. "What's wrong Dean?" Mary puts a gentle hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to go on. She knew John must have said something about Sam, that was the only reason Dean ever complained about something their dad said. 

"He said... We're dumping Sam here with Gabriel. And leaving him. And not letting him go on any more hunts." Dean admitted, watching as Mary's eyes narrowed. She hated it, hated it when John made decisions for their sons with no regret or thought. She let Dean and Sam do what they thought was right, if Sam wanted to go on hunts, then fine, it's his life. He can do whatever he wants. John shouldn't be pushing him down a path that Sam doesn't want to go down. Oh, when she's done with John Winchester, he'll wish he didn't wake up that morning!

A abrupt slam of a door caught Mary's attention. She looked at the front door with a frown etching her face. She turned her gaze to Dean, motioned him to follow her into the living and started walking. In the living room, John stood alone, packing his duffle bag. Mary had noticed Gabriel was gone also, while Castiel remained on the stairs, arms crossed. Sam had ran. And Mary was certain she knew why. 

"John Winchester what the hell do you think you're doing?" Mary snaps, arms crossed over her chest. "You made Sam run out, didn't you?" John flinched at her tone; a angry Mary was not a good Mary. "Yes. He needs to learn that he can't help us anymore." John averted his gaze, guilt on his face. "I can't believe you. You really think this is what Sam wants?" 

"It doesn't matter what he wants, he's not going on anymore hunts and that's final." 

"John Winchester do not use that tone with me. You are not dumping Sam here with Cas and Gabe. Do you honestly think he'll listen to you? He'll go on a hunt anyways and we won't be there to help him." 

"Don't be ridiculous. Castiel and Gabriel will make sure he doesn't go on a hunt." 

"And what about his mental health, huh? You know this could destroy him. Do you even care about his mental health?"

"I'm not discussing this with you. He's not going and that's final." 

Mary glared at him for a second longer, hands on her hips and lips set in a thin line. "Dean, Cas, come on. Let's go look for Sam and Gabe." Mary finally said, moving towards the door. Castiel and Dean shared a glance before following her, Dean directed one more glare towards John before the door blocked his view of the other. 

"Hey, Sammy..." Gabriel sat beside Sam, wrapping a protective arm around his shoulder. "You okay?" 

"Not really..." Sam answered honestly, hiding his face. "Guess dad really does think I'm useless, huh?" 

"Maybe... But, Sammy, you are not useless, alright?" Gabriel tried his best to be comforting, but it was hard. 

Sam had tears running down his cheeks, he discarded his jacket to look at the bandaged wound and he wouldn't meet Gabriel's eyes. "Listen, Sammy, you know you're not useless. You can still shoot and plus, you're hella smart. You're a wiz at research." Gabriel smiled a little when Sam leaned his head towards his shoulder. 

"And, do you honestly think I'm gonna stop you from hunting? You think Dean will listen to John? Do you think Mary won't rip his ass a new one?" 

Sam laughed lightly, knowing what Gabriel was implying. Mary had always let Sam and Dean choose their own lifestyle, but their father was disapproving of a few things, Mary always sorted him out though by using her 'no nonsense' voice. That tone got John to do anything. 

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry about running... I just couldn't stand it..." 

"I'm always right, Sammy. And it's fine. It's good I went after ya, I was about to murder John." 

Sam smiled at Gabriel, he wiped his eyes and then put his jacket on with the help of Gabriel. It was hard to take off his jacket and put it back on, but it was doable. Gabriel could always help him anyways if he can't change. Showering was going to be hard as well, but Sam will try to be able to do it on his own. If he can't shower and change, then how will be able to hunt? 

"Come on, Sammy, Dean, Mary and Cas are looking for us. Don't wanna worry them, do we?"


	3. A Comforting Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel and Sam have a heart to a heart about God's plan for Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to kinda make John's actions justified a little. I know I failed, but I'm not anti-John if that's what you're thinking. And I don't want people thinking that, so I tried to make his actions a little bit justified. Even though I did horribly in that regard. 
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

Mary had managed to stall John on his desperate decision to leave Sam with Castiel and Gabriel. She decided they will all live in the house for a month like a family to help Sam heal from the incident. During that time, Sam will sneak off with Gabriel, Dean and Cas to do some training to help him get used to only using one arm. It was difficult at first, as everyone had anticipated, but Sam slowly got the hang of it. They started with shooting, which Dean deigned the hardest part to change, since Sam had to change which hand he shot with, and since Sam had a tendency to use his other hand to steady the one wielding the gun, they had to work on that too. 

Gabriel, Dean, Castiel and Mary had all been supportive. They helped him recover, the only one who seemed reluctant to help was John. He never helped Sam with recovering, in fact, he acted like he didn't care. Sam didn't question it, even if he felt some resentment towards his father for ignoring him, he thought it was for the best. He didn't need John cricitazing him every five seconds because his attacks were too delayed or that he wasn't holding the gun right. 

"Hey, Sammy, I think you're ready for a hunt." Dean grinned at Sam one day after Sam had finished shooting practice. "Really? You think so?" Sam's eyes gleamed with determination. Sure, he helped Dean with a few hunts that took place near their house or city, but only with research, he didn't actually go out onto the field. 

"Yeah, Bobby just called me saying there's a hunt near his area." 

"How is Bobby? We haven't talked to him in a while." 

"He's been busy with some poltergeist in his home. He didn't have any time to talk. And, he said he'll appreciate it if we went down to his house anyways. He said he has a surprise for you." 

"Really? I hope this surprise isn't obscure like the last one." 

"That was only because Gabe was the one who helped Bobby." 

The memory made smiles appear on the brothers' faces. Bobby wanted to throw a surprise party for Sam for getting into Stanford, Gabriel kept offering his help. He begged Bobby, annoyed him to the end of the earth, and didn't let him get any sleep until he finally let Gabriel help. That was Bobby's first mistake: Gabriel took surprises literally and summoned a unicorn that fired lasers from its eyes as the surprise for Sam. While Sam admitted it was cool (and slightly terrifying) he said that it would wreck the house and the family members. It was the weirdest surprise Sam had ever seen, the whole entire party resolved around the unicorn, because apparently, it was a part of a jousting match. 

Let's just say Sam had to patch up an injured angel and brother. 

"Does dad know about it?" The question shattered the smiles instantly, but they both knew it had to be asked. "No. At least, I don't think so. Mom is gonna keep him distracted so we can sneak to Bobby's. Gabe and Cas will try to help her." 

"Gotcha."

Later that day, Sam was packing his equipment for the hunt. Bobby said it was a Wendigo and should be easy to deal with. He knew about Sam's condition and after Dean told him that Sam was itching to get back to hunting, he searched for a simple, but challenging case. 

"Hello, Sam. Are you getting ready to go?" 

Castiel entered the room, arms limply at his side. "Hey, Cas. Yeah, I'm nearly done." Sam replied, smiling at the angel. "Do you need any help?" 

"A little. I need to put the bullets in the canister. Can you do that please?" 

"Of course, Sam." Castiel nodded. He walked over to stand beside Sam, he picked up the gun and the silver bullets and started to get to work. A pleasant silence stretched between the human and angel, the only sounds coming from the equipment as they moved them. 

"Hey, Cas?" 

Sam hesitantly asked, coughing awkwardly. "Yes, Sam?" Castiel looked at Sam and halted his activity to pay full attention to him. "You know how people say God has a special plan for everyone?" 

"Yes. Every time when someone is born, he creates a plan for that person in life." 

"Well.... If that's true, then... Was this God's plan for me? To lose an arm so I would be useless? 

"Don't say I'm not, because I know I am... Was God's great plan for me to suffer? Did he plan to make me useless? Hated? Weak? I don't understand, Cas... I don't understand." 

Sam bit his bottom lip, his hand holding his shoulder. "No one will even touch this shoulder. They avoid it like the plague. Dad won't, Dean tries to avoid it, mom won't touch it either... The only one who has is Gabriel and he's only touched it once... You all think I'm a freak, don't you...?" 

Castiel stared at Sam as he shook. He wasn't fully sure about human's emotions, but he could see why Sam was upset. Castiel couldn't understand God's plans either, whatever plans God had were concealed and for his eyes only. "Sam, I don't know why bad things happen to wonderful people. God must have made this plan for you because he knows you can overcome it. And you can. I've seen you train with Dean, you always hit dead centre with the targets.

"We don't think you're a freak either. We just don't want to touch your shoulder in case it made you uncomfortable." Sam sniffled, but turned to face Castiel fully. He grabs the angel's hand gently and guides it to his bandaged shoulder. "I think I feel more human if you all do still treat me like you all used to. I know Dean is trying, but..." 

"Sam, what happened is taking its toll on everyone. I know John seems to be acting like an..." 

"Assbutt?" Sam smiled a little in amusement. 

"Yes, an assbutt," Castiel returned the smile. "But, he really cares. It's just hard for him. We all know your father is a cautious man, but you have to be patient with him." 

"It's hard when he's acting like I'm 5 years old..." 

Castiel ruffled Sam's mop of brown hair, his smile growing wider at Sam's slightly irritated look. His eyes screamed, 'why must you betray me, Cas? But, a faint smile contradicted the emotions in his hazel eyes. "Yes, but, he'll start to treat you like your age again. Now, shall we continue? I'm afraid Dean may start screaming and 'blow our cover' as he puts it." 

"Yeah. Thanks, Cas." 

"Anytime, Sam. Just remember, we're all here to help if you need to talk to someone." 

"Right. Thanks again, Cas." 

After Castiel and Sam finished the preparations, Castiel helped Sam down the stairs, watching carefully in case he fell. He knew Sam felt comfortable if he had a handrail to grab on to, but since the handrail is on his left side going downstairs, he had to settle for grazing his fingertips against the wall for balance instead. Dean was downstairs at the door waiting. He had the door open and was looking around to see if John would magically appear. Mary had managed to get him out of the house. How she did that, Dean will never know. Mary had several tricks up her sleeve, she was ready to pull anything in case her boys needed something. She didn't care about lying to John, as far as she's concerned, he deserves it for making Sam's confidence crumble. How did she notice? She's his mother! Of course she'll notice when he's upset. 

Dean smiled up at Sam and Castiel as he saw them walk down the stairs. "Hey, ready to go, Sammy?" He asked, nodding his head towards the door. Sam nodded in return, huffing out a breath to calm his nerves. 

"You'll be fine, Sammy." 

Gabriel was suddenly beside him, his arms were wrapped around Sam in a heartfelt hug. "You have a amazing brother at your side, and you are spectacular at hunting. I know you'll do wonderfully." Gabriel reassured him, leaning up and kissing his nose. 

Castiel looked at Dean as the Archangel comforted the disheartened human. "Be careful, okay? And take care of him too." Castiel walked into Dean's embrace and rested his head against the man's chest. "I will. Don't worry. Have you talked to him?" Dean's voice was low so only Castiel could hear him.

"Yes. Dean, he worries we won't treat him normally anymore. So, while I know you'll be in protective brother mode, try to not treat Sam differently." 

"I'll try, but Cas... It's hard. He has no arm. It's not that I think he's weak or anything... It's just..." Dean sighed. "It's just I'm scared in case he loses another appendage." 

"He won't, Dean. Try to stay calm for him too, if he sees his older brother is calm, he'll stay calm too." 

"Alright. Thanks, Cas. I'll see you soon, okay?" Dean pressed a soft kiss to Castiel's head. "Pray for me if you need any help..." 

"Will do." Dean nodded, then raised his voice to talk to Sam. "Alright Sam, time to go." Sam nodded in reply to Dean's statement. Gabriel leaned up once more and kissed his lips softly. "You'll be fine, Sammy. Remember, you are the most awesome person in the world." 

Sam laughed a little. "Right, thanks Gabe." 

Sam stepped away from Gabriel's warm embrace and went towards Dean. "Ready?" 

"Yep. See you two later. Have fun stalling the warden." 

"Be careful! Don't make me have to heal you both because you got too cut up!" 

"Don't worry! As you said, Sam is hella awesome." Dean winked and disappeared out the door, followed by his younger brother. The door clicked close behind them, and they made their way to the Impala. The brothers threw their duffle bags full of equipment into the trunk at the front of the car before getting in; Dean declared he was going to drive, so Sam sat in the passenger side. This would be another thing he would miss; he can't drive the Impala anymore. 

Dean pulled out of the drive way and onto the road, glancing at Sam every few seconds. The man was leaning against the window, his face neutral. 

"What Gabe said was true, Sammy. He wasn't joking. And neither am I when I say you're hella awesome." 

Sam smiled a little at his brother's words. They usually came to terms with 'no chick-flick moments,' but Sam felt Dean's reasons were justified. "Thanks, Dean... I just hope I won't cause trouble for you on this hunt." 

"You'll never cause trouble for me, Sammy. That's what brother's are for. That and morning breakfasts that I never once got." Dean threw a smirk at Sam. 

"Jerk." 

"Bitch."


	4. Angel VS Dickhead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and John have a stand off while Gabriel and Castiel try to cover for the brothers. 
> 
> Oh, and Gabriel needs to take Sam out for shopping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for swearing. There's no F-Bombs though. 
> 
> Enjoy! ^^

The drive was a long one. Sam had fallen asleep against the car window, he was curled up slightly on the seat, his long legs pushed up to his chest, his arm was wrapped around his waist and his head was dipped down. Dean smiled at his baby brother, reminded of the past and how Sam would do this when they were on a family hunt — only Sam and Dean had to be put in the backseat. 

As Dean turned back to the road, Castiel's words of advice echoed in his head. He understood, he really did. He understands why Sam didn't want to be treated differently.

It's just... It was hard for him. 

His little brother's arm got ripped off because he was stupid enough to carry on walking and brush off whatever Sam had to say. He didn't even notice Sam had stopped walking and was seething with rage back in the forest clearing. He just kept walking. He just kept following John. 

Isn't that what he always does?

Except this time the consequences effected Sam more than anyone else. 

Well, whatever. He wasn't following John now, he is going to help Sam recover, he is going to help Sam hunt again. He will not make Sam feel useless, he will not dump Sam on Castiel and Gabriel to take care of. He won't. He'll die before he'll let that happen. 

Dean knows he's not the only one who feels that way. He knows Gabriel is going to be there every second in case Sam needs him. Castiel isn't the best at being comforting, but Dean knows he's trying and Sam does too. 

Anyway, the point is, Sam has lots of people around him that will not leave him out to dry. 

After Dean parked the Impala outside the car junkyard Bobby owned, he looked at Sam. He didn't want to wake up his peaceful looking brother, but he had to. It was either him, or Bobby. 

"Hey, Sammy. Wake up. We're here." 

Dean nudged Sam's shoulder gently, smiling when he saw hazel eyes open and raise to look at him. "Dean...?" Sam mumbled, wiping his eye. "We here already?" 

"Yeah. Come on. Bobby's waiting for us."

Sam nodded and stretched out his legs as far as the car would allow. "Alright." Dean patted his brother on the shoulder one more time before opening the door and climbing out. Sam tried to open his door, but for some reason it didn't work.

"Sammy? Do you need any—?" 

"No! I-I mean no... I can do this." 

So, Dean let Sam try to open the door on his own. Even when Bobby came out of his house to greet Dean. "Does the idjit need help?" Bobby asked, empathy in his voice as his gaze landed on the one armed Winchester that was in a struggle against the car door. "I asked already. Straight out refused." 

"DEAN!" 

Sam shrieked within the car, Dean grinned deviously as he sing-songed his reply. "Yes, Sammy~?"

"YOU'RE A JERK!" 

"What did you do, Dean?" Bobby asks the older Winchester, brow raised as a exasperated sigh escaped his lips. "I might of locked the door." Dean replied, feigning innocence. Bobby continued to give him a bitch face. "He said he didn't want my help!" 

"Dean..."

"Fine." 

With one click of the keys, the door unlocked and Sam tumbled out of the car. "Jerk!" 

"Bitch." 

Dean and Bobby walked over to Sam, Bobby being the one to help him up from the ground. "Nice to see you are as loving as always, Dean." Bobby commented, giving Sam a smile. "You alright, Sam?" 

"Yeah. Just a missing arm, no big deal." Sam smiled back, scratching his head. "Oh and Dean is a dick. But that's not new." 

Bobby chuckled at his comment, nodding in agreement. "True, true." 

"HEY!" 

They both ignored Dean's objections. Bobby's eyes turned sincere as he looked at Sam's empty jacket sleeve. "Sam—"

"Bobby please don't start treating me like a kid. I'm already getting that at home enough as it is." 

"Lemme guess. John?" 

He received a nod from the brothers. 

"Well. I'll try my best, Sam. And I know John is trying his best too. You know what the idjit's like." 

Sam knows all too well, and a few words come to mind:

Overprotective.

Harsh.

Arrogant.

Ignorant. 

Strict.

Annoying—

You know what? Sam should probably stop there. There's a lot of words that describe John perfectly (lots of them nasty) and Sam has better things to do than to think about the back-stabber. "Well, come on in then. You guys can stay here if the hunt takes longer than a day." Dean and Sam followed Bobby into his little house. "By the way, does John know you're here?" 

"No. Gabe and Cas are distracting him." 

"And how do they plan on doing that?"

"They're creative. I'm sure they'll figure out something." 

 

Meanwhile, back at the angel's house. 

"Gabriel, this is ridiculous. We cannot stage as Dean and Sam." Castiel grumpily said, his arms crossed over his chest. "And we're both too short to be Sam and Dean anyway." He finished, mindlessly adjusting the sleeves of Dean's button up that Gabriel had forced him to wear. "Oh, come on Cas. It's nothing a little Grace can't fix. Besides, you got any better ideas?" Gabriel replied, checking himself out in the mirror. He stole Sam's clothes from his wardrobe that was situated in the corner of the bedroom they were currently in. Does the kid wear anything else than plaid? When this is all done and Gabriel and Sam have time alone, Gabriel needs to take him out shopping. "Not my regular tastes, but I still look good." 

"Gabriel, this is absurd. We can't pretend to be them." 

"Why? You should know how Dean acts. You always hang around with him. You should know his habits and stuff. Like Sam does." 

"Sam is different. He's been around Dean since he was born." 

"Yeah, so? We've been watching over them since they were born, right? I remember you sitting on the clouds and oggling at Dean."

"At least I was not drooling when I saw my soulmate, Gabriel." 

"I wasn't drooling! I just choked... On my spit."

"Yuh-huh..."

Gabriel awkwardly coughed at the memory. When he saw Sam grow up into a lanky, tall, floppy haired teenager, he might of drooled a little. Only a little though. He also might of swooned at the baby's cuteness when he first saw him. But, Sam doesn't need to know that. 

"Alright. You dressed?" Gabriel asks, turning to face Castiel with a smirk. "Yes. I still think this is ridiculous." Castiel muttered, looking at the ground like a child who did something wrong. "Maybe you should be Sam, you both have the same pouty face." 

"Gabriel we should take this seriously. We need John to think that Sam and Dean haven't left the house. What's our excuse as well? He'll surely find it strange that we're not here, especially since it's our house." 

"You're such a negative person. We'll just say that we're out doing private angel mojo and we'll be back soon." 

"Does he really think you'll leave Sam alone for so long after what happened? I'm afraid his trust in you will waver."

"That's fine. Because the trust I had in John never existed!" Gabriel shot back. He always hated John Winchester; ever since he abandoned Sam to do a hunt on his on. Gabriel wouldn't have minded, if Sam wasn't 10 and didn't know how to handle a gun. Luckily, Gabriel was watching over him and was able to intervene before the possessed clown ripped Sam to pieces. "I don't care if a worthless piece of shit trusts me or not."

"You think very lowly of their father, don't you?" 

"Well, duh, obviously. You saw what John did to Sam. And what he's done to Dean over one hundred times."

"You would have to be more specific. He has done lots of things for people to think lowly of him." 

"Well, firstly, he abandoned Sam on a hunt when he was 10 and couldn't fight. He's left Sam in Dean's care countless of times. And overall, he's just a dick." 

At that moment, Mary entered. "Hey, is Sam and Dean—?" Her words cut off as she stared at the two angels in front of her. Why were they wearing her sons' clothes? 

"Gabe? Cas? What—?"

"We're going to pretend to be Sam and Dean." Gabriel explained, grinning in pride. "Cool idea, right?" 

"You two look nothing like Sam and Dean. And you're too short to pretend to be any of them." 

"Nothin' a little Grace can't fix." 

Mary sighed, head dropping. She didn't really care what they did to distract John as long as it was believable. This planned just seemed stupid. John would be able to recognise his own children.... 

Right? 

Apparently not. 

Later that night, Castiel, Gabriel, Mary and John sat at the dinner table. Mary had to admit, the Grace helped them look more like her sons. Gabriel was the same height as Sam and had the same floppy hair. He even managed to make his left arm disappear. The only thing that was different was the nose structure and stubble. Castiel was the same, though he had more trouble pretending to be Dean than Gabriel had pretending to be Sam. The voices were somewhat off pitch, but not too much because John didn't question it. 

"So. Where are those Angels?" John asked, hoping to make conversation. Gabriel was the one to reply; he didn't trust Castiel to keep up the facade for long. "They had to go out somewhere. Gabe said something about visiting his dog or something." 

John nodded in response, turning back to his dinner. "Listen, Sam, I'm sorry you're not coming on anymore hunts.. But you're too weak to help us."

Oh no. 

Mary glanced at Gabriel, seeing him trying not to break out of character. His fists were clenched and his teeth were gritting together. Castiel decided to step in, knowing that is what Dean would do. 

"Sammy can still hunt. You're just not giving him the chance he deserves." John's eyes flicked over to Castiel. "Dean, if something like that happened again he could die. The chance has increased because he's lost his arm. We don't need deadweight on a hunt." 

"John Winchester do not speak about your son like that." 

Mary snapped, glaring daggers at her husband. Gabriel sat up abruptly, his gaze locking with John's. "I don't know who you think you are, John Winchester," he said his name with so much malice everyone else felt fear tug at their heart strings. "But if you think, you can stop Sam from hunting then..." He chuckled deviously, before his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're idiotic, dead and a dickwad." Castiel inwardly sighed. He was used to his brother's anger towards John, but it seemed this time he was ready to murder him. 

Wait... Did Gabriel just blow their cover?

"You're not Sam." 

"No shit, Sherlock." 

"Where is Sam?" 

"Where do you think?" 

"Oh... When I get my hands on that boy..." 

John grumbled, standing up and walking to the coat rack. "You are not going on that hunt to intervene. Sam can handle it." Gabriel spat, standing in front of the door. The Grace had worn off and he was back to normal, but still wearing his boyfriend's clothes. Castiel was the same. "John Winchester get back here right now. Sam can handle this. Dean is with him. He'll be fine." Mary gripped her husband's shoulder. 

She couldn't really blame Gabriel for snapping, she knew how he could get when it came to Sam. She knew Gabriel despised John, she didn't really mind. John has done some things in the past to get him hated and she knew Gabriel has been watching over Sam since he was born; he obviously knew things about Sam than she did. 

John growled low in his throat for a moment, his glare fixed on the small angel in front of him. "If that boy is injured when he comes home, I will clip your wings." He looked to Castiel. "Yours too." He snapped, before going upstairs. 

All three people left let out a sigh of relief. That had been risky. If John intervened with the hunt, there's no doubt Sam's self esteem would continue to crumble. That's something they could not afford to let happen. "Was that your plan?" Castiel asks Gabriel, brow raised. "Not... Really. I don't know. I just snapped in all honesty." Gabriel shrugged loosely, leaning against door. "I understand Gabriel. It's okay. It doesn't matter now as long as he doesn't call them." A smile graced Mary's pale pink lips, her head tilting somewhat. "Yeah. I'll be there for Sammy though if he does." 

"Do you think Sam and Dean will be alright?" 

"Of course I do. They'll protect each other. That's what they're like," Gabriel then paused and put a hand to his chin in thought. "Though, I think Dean would actually murder John after I tell him what he said." 

"I'll assume you will aid each other in beating him to a pulp." 

"You betcha."

Mary couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.


End file.
